Andy Lee and Billy Joe Saunders fighting for pride, history and their community

ANDY LEE and Billy Joe Saunders met at a press conference in London today, after last week’s media event (which you can watch HERE) at Thomond Park, the stadium which will host their September 19 WBO middleweight title fight.

The press conference was a study in intense respect. Neither man bad-mouthed the other but the importance of this fight for both challenger and champion was left abundantly clear.

Andy Lee became the first boxer from the Traveller community to win a world title. This next bout will be the first world title fight to be contested by two Travellers. “There’s a lot of talk about the fight in our community,” said Billy Joe. “We’re both proud, proud men… We’re making history with this fight.

“I think about it all the time. I can’t believe I’m here now. I’m touching distance from my dream.”

The result, whatever it is, will haunt them both. “We won’t be shamed,” Lee said firmly, “but the loser will be known as the loser.

“We’re both pure boxers in a sense. What we will put on is a display of boxing skill, speed and power.”

Katie Taylor in talks to box on the Andy Lee-Billy Joe Saunders undercard

TALKS are in progress to see if Ireland’s star amateur, Katie Taylor can box on the undercard of Andy Lee’s world middleweight title fight with Billy Joe Saunders at Thomond Park on September 19.

Speaking to Boxing News, Peter Taylor, Katie’s trainer and father, said, “She could possibly be boxing on that, we’re just waiting for confirmation from AIBA [the international governing body].

“It would be brilliant. She boxed on the Bernard Dunne show before and she got a great reception to fight just before Bernard. There were 10,000 people there. She was on the same team as [Andy Lee] when he was an amateur and we know Andy really well. To box on that show would be unbelievable. It would be a great showcase for female boxing and amateur boxing as well.”

Frank Warren, who will co-promote the show with Adam Booth, is no supporter of female boxing though he would not oppose the move. He did however make his unease clear at a press conference today. “I’m entitled to my opinion,” he said. “Me personally, it’s not for me.” Billy Joe shared Warren’s sentiments but Andy Lee cheerfully insisted, “I’m championing women’s boxing and I’m championing equal rights.”

AIBA, which has launched pro style competitions of its own, tends to keep its own events separate from traditional professional boxing. Peter Taylor believes they will start to accommodate female boxers in their pro style formats. “There’s definitely going to be WSB [World Series Boxing] for females and I think the headgear’s coming off as well, which is going to be exciting for the girls,” he told Boxing News. “They’re supposed to be on par with the men’s boxing… If it’s off for the boys for medical reasons it obviously has to be off for the girls for medical reasons.”

He continued, “I think she’ll consider her pro options [after the next Olympics]. I don’t think there’s the strength in depth there really in the pros at the moment. I think all the top female boxers are still amateur. I think when the competition gets stronger, I think if it does get stronger after Rio, I think she would consider going pro then. At the moment amateur boxing’s much stronger than professional women’s boxing.

“I think she wants to be recognized as the best female boxer of all-time. That alone just motivates her.”

I’m 65 years old and I mean it when I say I’d get in there with [Wladimir Klitschko] and fight for the title. Because he’s no threat. Give me six months to get in shape. Would these guys have survived in my era? No. But good luck to them, they’re doing what they can with their talent.

Teper wins the vacant EBU title with crushing second round knockout of Price. Teper came out marching forward behind a high guard and immediately took Price to the ropes. The German landed a left to the chin and a right to the side of the head and as they came off the ropes he landed a big overhand right on Price’s jaw and got through with another couple of punches as Price tried to clinch. Price was pushed on to the back foot and fired a series of counters as Teper moved forward. Despite having height, reach and weight over Teper, Price was just pushing with his jab and it was not enough to stop Teper coming forward and roughing up Price inside. Price ended a torrid first round with a cut over his left eye. Price was still on the back foot at the start of the second. Suddenly Teper stepped inside with a right to the side of the head and as Price tried to slide away from it he moved into a left hook which landed flush on the chin. Price was thrown down flat on the canvas with his head sticking out through the bottom rope. The referee started the count but Price was out from the moment that left hook landed and the referee quickly waved the fight off. Huge win for 33-year-old 6’5” (195cm) Teper and his 10th finish by KO/TKO. He was IBF No 10(9) but will climb much higher after this sensational win. A former World Military silver medal winner, he is trained by Oktay Urkal, the former EBU super light and welter champion and world title challenger. It is difficult to see where Price goes from here. He was rated IBF 5(4)/WBO 11 and WBA 14 but will drop out of sight now. They say once can be bad luck, twice coincidence but three is a pattern and this is Price’s third loss by KO/TKO and at 32 it will be difficult to start over and even if he does those three losses put a question mark over how far he can hope to go. However his promoter is standing by him and they are prepared to support Price if he decides to continue.

Rill vs. Butlin

Canadian-born Rill outpoints English veteran Butlin. Rill 6’4 ½” (194) had height and reach over Butlin and was able to score well to head and body. Butlin is a practised survivor and despite being shaken on a few occasions and suffering a cut over his left eye he did his job and took Rill the full eight rounds. The 27-year-old Rill is not yet in the EBU ratings where they rate 17 heavyweights but is just outside at No 17 in the EU ratings. Butlin, 39, has only been beaten nine times by KO/TKO in his 22 losses.

Lewandowski vs. Enguema

German prospect Lewandowski halts Spaniard Enguema in a battle of big men. The German had the better skills and was in control over the first three rounds before flooring Enguema twice in the fourth. The first came from a right and after the Spaniard got up a hard combination put him down again and the fight was stopped. The 6’7” (201cm) Lewandowski goes past the second round for the first time as he has two first round wins and two in the second round. The 22-year-old was twice German Under-21 champion and twice won bronze at the German Senior Championships. Enguema 6’ 5 ½” (197cm) had lost on points to Rill over eight rounds in March.

Dazzling display of power from Douglas as he blows away unbeaten Szili inside three rounds. Douglas made good use of his speed, extra height and reach in the first scoring with stiff jabs but Szili was competitive, letting go some quick combinations. Szili was trying to put pressure on in the second by getting close and trying to use his strength. Late in the round as they were trading punches Douglas cut loose with two left hooks, a right uppercut and another left hook. Szili backed up badly shaken but Douglas closed in with four clubbing rights to the side of the head that saw Szili slump face down on the canvas. He was up at seven and the bell sounded just as the referee completed the eight count. At the start of the second Douglas landed a hard left hook and another clubbing right and Szili went down again. He was up immediately and took the eight count but when it was completed Douglas walked over and landed a right and a left to Szili’s head and as he slumped to the floor the referee stopped the fight. The 22-year-old “Action” Douglas goes to 12 wins by KO/TKO and collects the vacant IBO Inter-Continental title. The draw on his record was an excellent fight with new European champion Michel Soro. He is rated WBA 11 and deserves to be in the other three ratings as well. He was a top rated amateur but lost out at the final US Olympic Trials for a berth in London. He has family pressure as his sister Tyrieshia qualified for the US Women’s Boxing Team for 2012. Swiss-based Hungarian Szili, 32, had over 200 amateur fights and won a pack of trophies from 51kgs upwards but did not turn pro until he was 26 and may now have gone as far as he is going to get.

Magomedov vs. Webster

Magomedov impresses in win over previously unbeaten southpaw Webster. The fight was never a barn burner but Magomedov was always busy pressuring the much taller Webster who was relying on Magomedov to make mistakes that he could capitalise on. As a result Magomedov was doing most of the punching and most of the scoring keeping Webster on the back foot. The Russian found his way past Webster’s jab getting in close and working the body with Webster finding little room to punch. Webster looked to be getting into the fight in the fourth but from the fifth Magomedov was working in close again applying more and more pressure and seemed to have limitless stamina. In the seventh two rights put Webster down but he survived the round. Knowing he was losing the fight Webster finally began to let his hands go in the eighth but any thought of a come-from-behind win were blown away in the last when a Magomedov right floored Webster. Scores 99-89 from all three judges. Another good display from the 22-year-old Russian on top of wins over unbeaten fighters Alex Theran and Mike Zerafa. He wins the vacant NABO title and is already rated WBC 3/WBA 4/WBO 4 but a bit more realistic is EBU No 11 but a great prospect. “Take It to The Bank” Webster, 33, had only met relatively low level opposition and was moving up to 10 rounds for the first time.

Clarkson vs. Odom

Southpaw Clarkson puts a big question mark over the potential of former amateur star Odom. They traded hard punches in the first with Odom’s body punching probably allowing him to shade the round. Odom was looking good early in the second and opening up on Clarkson. However he got overconfident and left himself open and Clarkson nailed him with a big uppercut late in the round to send Odom down for the first time as a pro. Odom was badly shaken but took the eight count and survived to the bell. Clarkson jumped on Odom immediately in the third and another right put Odom down. Again he was up and ready to continue but Clarkson put him down again. Odom got up but was then taking punishment when the referee stopped the fight. Big win for the 24-year-old Texan coming as it does after a split decision victory over former WBO title challenger Cedric Agnew in February. Now eight wins in his last nine fights for Clarkson with his loss in there being on points against unbeaten Jesse Hart. Odon, 22, “The King’s Son” had lost his unbeaten tag when he was disqualified for punching Andy Hernandez when he was down. This one is much more difficult to explain away for a guy who won both the NGG’s and the US National title as an amateur and he and his team have some serious thinking to do.

Lopez vs. Aquino

Lopez has to fight hard but get a deserved majority decision over Aquino. Lopez took the first round thanks to a flash knockdown but Aquino managed to finish the round strongly and by the second was working inside and forcing Lopez onto the back foot. Lopez had the skills to win this one on boxing alone but Aquino did not let him have the luxury of that type of fight. However even when it was an inside fight Lopez was showing he was more than a match for Aquino and getting the better of the trading. He shook Aquino in the fifth but Aquino just kept coming and kept punching and had a good sixth round and an even better seventh. Lopez showed his class as he regrouped to get back on top and finish strongly to clinch the verdict. Scores 96-93 twice and 95-95. The 24-year-old Texan lifts the vacant WBC Latino and WBA Fedelatin titles and he paced the fight well never having gone beyond the sixth round before. “Mantequilla” (OK, there is only one Jose Napoles) was US Under-19 champion and won a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships but, like Odom, he did not get through the US Olympic Trials. Dominican Aquino was having his first fight in the USA. His record is heavily laced with poor opposition but he has a couple of reasonable level wins and he showed he was for real here.

Brant vs. Berrospe

With fellow top amateur Odom losing inside the distance there was a brief scary moment for the favourite here again as Berrospe dumped “Bravo” Brant on the floor in the first. To Brant it was more insult than injury and he then proceeded to hand out a beating to the Mexican. He put Berrospe down in the second and again in the third and the fight was stopped. The 24-year-old from St. Paul makes it 10 wins by KO/TKO but has had no real tests so far. Brant was both a NGG and a US National Champion but as with Odom and Lopez fell by the wayside at the final US Trials. Berrospe is 2-7 in his last nine fights.

Kogawa wins the vacant Japanese title with hard fought victory over Saito. It was Saito pressing the action with Kogawa forced to fight on the retreat using counters from both hands. The first round was close but edged by Kogawa and a right from Saito had Kogawa shaken in the second. From the third Kogawa stuck to his boxing using good movement, fast hands and quick combinations to edge in front and also opened a cut on the left eyelid of Saito. At the half way mark the judges had it 49-46 twice and 48-47 for Kogawa. From there he was in control. Saito was trying to make up the leeway and piling forward with Kogawa able to box and pocket the rounds. By the start of the 10th Saito needed a knockout. He did manage to land a right that had Kogawa wobbling badly but by holding and boxing Kogawa survived the crisis. Scores 98-92 twice and 97-93. Former national champion Kogawa, 30, has had two shots at winning a version of the world flyweight title losing to Pongsaklek Wonjongkam for the WBC title in 2011 and to Yodmongkol for the interim WBA title in March last year. This is his second win since then. Saito, 28, had won his last three fights and was JBC No 2 but this was his first 10 round fight and he did not pace it well.

Lozada returns with a win. These two just stood and exchanged over the first three minutes. Urias was scoring with hooks whilst the taller Lozada was banging home hard combinations from the outside. Late in the round Lozada scored with a left hook to the body which had Urias in some distress but the bell went before Lozada could capitalise. Lozada was looking to end things in the second but Urias used his experience to stay out of trouble until late in the round when a punch opened a big cut on his left eyebrow. At the end of the round his corner retired Urias and the cut required five stitches. The tall 25-year-old Lozada now has 30 wins by KO/TKO. He turned pro at 16 and was 33-1 before losing to Ramiro Alcaraz in 2013. He beat Alcaraz in a return but after one more win was inactive for 14 months before returning with this victory. Urias is 0-10-2 in his last 12 fights.

Alfaro returns to action with a win. The former WBA secondary title holder showed plenty of rust but he wore down former victim Munguia in the 10th round which was better than he had achieved in their first fight. The 31-year-old Alfaro had just edged out Munguia on a majority decision when they met in 2012. He lost to Eduard Troyanovsky in October last year and this was his first fight on his return. He is now 5-4-1 in his last 10 fights but all of those losses have been to high quality fighters. Fellow Nicaraguan Munguia, a former national champion, falls to 1-8 in his last nine fights.

Perez vs. Castillo

Young Perez may be the next young star to come out of Nicaragua. The 19-year-old halted experienced Castillo inside the first round for win No 13 by KO/TKO. He has won 10 of his last 11 fights by KO/TKO with only Evereth Briceno taking him the distance and Briceno, who took Khalid Yafai the distance, was floored and only just lasted to the bell in their fight. Nicaraguan Castillo is 2-5-1ND in his eight fights.

Nawaphon easily disposes of Filipino Ugbaniel. The Thai was just too big and strong for the Filipino. A seriously low punch in the second badly hurt Ugbaniel and he was taking punishment in the third when he went down and was counted out. The 23-year-old WBC No 1 has 22 wins by KO/TKO and this was the 14th defence of his WBC ABC title but as with many Thai’s he has climbed up by fighting down with not a single rated fighter on his record. Ugbaniel had been knocked out inside a round by Melvin Gumban for the GAB title in January.

Pongsaklek vs. Kongfah

This is not the Pongsaklek who was such a great WBC world flyweight champion. This one did not just fail to read the script he tore it up and threw it in the bin. He outboxed the house fighter and ended his unbeaten run. Pongsaklek turned pro in 2009 with a loss then had just one fight in 2010 and one in 2013 and lost them both. He returned to action last April and this is his third win since then but all of his five previous opponents had only four fights between them so it should have been an easy fight for the 22-0 Kongfah. However I have mentioned before how crude and wide open Kongfah is so this was always a possibility.

Srisaket vs. Amisa

Srisaket gets another inside the distance win as he waits for a chance to regain the WBC title. He overwhelmed Amisa who protested the stoppage but was only going to get an even worse beating as the fight progressed. The 28-year-old Thai has lost only one of his last 35 fights and has 32 wins by KO/TKO. That loss was on a technical decision against Carlos Cuadras in May last year and it cost him his WBC title. He has kept busy with seven wins in a row by KO/TKO including an impressive fourth round stoppage of Jose Salgado. Diminutive Indonesian Amisa is 1-22 in his last 23 fights.

Suriyan vs. Tanaka

Disgraceful mismatch sees Suriyan take a while to sort out the much taller Japanese novice who showed guts but little else before being halted in the fourth. The former WBC super fly champion makes it seven wins in a row since losing to Shinsuke Yamanaka for the WBC bantam title in October.

Martin gets rid of poor Georgian opponent in quick time. Martin hunted down Gamgebeli and floored him with a left cross. Gamgebeli made it to his feet but Martin was landing more heavy punches when the referee intruded to save the Georgian. Just a pay day for the 21-year-old Spanish southpaw. The EU champion goes to eight wins by KO/TKO. Gamgebeli has failed to last the distance in his last five fights outside of Georgia.

Dalakian wins wide unanimous decision over Spaniard Moreno in a fast-paced but at times untidy fight. Both were unconventional, adopting hands-down stances and piling in with short punches. Dalakian was making good use of his jab whilst Moreno was dangerous with wild rights. Moreno was relentless as he walked Dalakian down but time and again he was caught with hard counters, particularly from Dalakian’s right. It was often messy with too much wrestling but they were fighting at a high pace. Moreno suffered a bad cut on his right eyebrow but it was not a factor. Dalakian had a big 10th as he forced Moreno back and was scoring with hooks from both hands to head and body with Moreno only able to cover up from the storm. Both were tired in the 11th and Moreno just kept walking onto hard counters without being quick enough to score with his own punches but by the end of the round Dalakian had a small cut over his left eye. Dalakian tried to dance his way through the 12th but Moreno forced him to trade and it was a hectic last round. Scores 118-110 from all three judges. Dalakian, 27, wins the vacant WBA Continental title. As an amateur he was World Military Champion and competed at the 2009 World and 2010 European Championships. He is a quick, slick little fighter and his speed and hands down style will give opponents plenty of trouble. Moreno never stopped coming. The 31-year-old Spaniard, the EBU No 4, was wild at times but dangerous and he too has an unorthodox style and great stamina.

Yefimovych vs. Eronen

Yefimovych gets wide unanimous decision over brave but limited Eronen. Yefimovych had the strength to bully the Finnish southpaw, constantly forcing him to the ropes and scoring with left hooks to the body. Eronen was on the back foot and his attacks consisted of wild rushes to get inside but when he did he was holding and not punching. When he did come forward he was walking onto counter after counter. Eronen finally stopped retreating and was coming forward and forcing the fight. He had a good sixth and in the seventh he nailed Yefimovych with a hard left as Yefimovych came back up from ducking under a right. The punch drove Yefimovych back and he was under fire for the rest of the round. Yefimovych came out firing in the eighth but again Eronen forced him back. He drove Yefimovych to the ropes but he was wide open when he moved in and Yefimovych exploded vicious left hook on the Finn’s chin and he stumbled down to the canvas. Although he just touched down briefly it was rightly ruled a knockdown. Yefimovych tried hard to find another punch like that but Eronen was fighting back by the bell. Yefimovych controlled the remaining rounds as Eronen tired but the Finn was always competitive but catching too many left hooks to the body and counters to the head. Scores 119-108 twice and 120-107. The 34-year-old Ukrainian, a former European champion, wins the vacant WBA Continental title. He lost his EBU title on a split decision to Sofiane Takoucht in his fifth defence and that is his only loss in his last 23 fights, but he had only one fight in 2013 and one in 2014 so needs to be more active. Eronen, also 34, made more of a fight of it than the scores indicate and he showed resilience in soaking up the punishment Yefimovych handed out and he got better as the fight progressed. This is only his second loss in his last 14 fights with the other loss being to unbeaten Pole Kamil Laszczyk for the vacant WBFound title in November.

Senchenko vs. Melis

Senchenko continues his run of wins with stoppage of Melis. The Ukrainian boxed conservatively over the first round. Melis tried to force the action and Senchenko was using a sharp jab and long rights to the body to collect the points. Senchenko’s jab dominated in the second as he pierced the defence of Melis time and again and shook him with a right cross at the end of the round. The third was one-sided as Senchenko slammed home jabs and right crosses and throwing hooks and uppercuts into the mix. In the fourth Senchenko rocked Melis with rights to the head and then put him down. After the eight count Senchenko was battering home lefts and rights and the fight could have been stopped but at a crucial moment Senchenko landed a low punch and Melis got some respite. When they resumed a right to the body put Melis down for the second time. When he got up he was staggered again and again by hard rights but made it to the bell. A series of head and body punches put Melis down in the fifth but yet again he got up. Senchenko landed a series of seven punches and then a hard right to the head and Melis went down on one knee and was counted out. The 38-year-old former WBA champion who ended Ricky Hatton’s career and lost in four rounds to Kell Brook in an IBF eliminator in 2013 has won three in a row and was No 4 with the EBU but he declared that this was his last fight. Estonian Melis, 32, drops to 11 losses by KO/TKO.

London, England: Super Middle: Tom Baker (12-0) W PTS 10 Darren Cruise (6-4,1ND). Baker wins every round in impressive decision over Cruise. Baker was generally in control using a strong jab, body punches and uppercuts and outboxing Cruise. His jab was dominant and although Cruise worked hard to get inside and put Baker off his game plan Baker remained clinical and slick. He peppered Cruise with jabs and used right uppercuts to bring Cruise up short when trying to get inside and gave a classy display. The tall Chingford 23-year-old, the Southern Area champion, only seems to lack power with only two wins by KO/TKO, but that can be worked on. Irishman Cruise has yet to lose inside the distance and had won his last three fights.

What looked an even money fight on paper ended in a crushing win for Rosario. The lanky Puerto Rican made a fast start and almost ended it in the first but Garcia survived. Not for long as Rosario scored two knockdowns in the second and the fight was stopped. 10 wins by KO/TKO for Rosario who wins the vacant WBO Latino title and he gets his third victory since losing a majority decision to Edgar Ortega in Mexico City last August. Chicago-born Mexican Garcia, 21, had won his last nine fights against very low level opposition and now gets his second loss by KO/TKO.

Dorticos vs. Brown

Cuban Dorticos returns after a year of inactivity and brushes aside veteran loser Brown. Dorticos showed no sign of rust as he blasted Brown to the canvas three times for the win. The 29-year-old Dorticos won his first 18 fights by KO/TKO before having to go the full ten rounds to beat Edison Miranda in July last year. It looked as though he might became another Cuban to waste his talent when contract problems kept him out of the ring for a year but now he is back he could be a real force at cruiser. Despite not fighting for a year he is still rated No 2 by the WBA and is also WBO 11. “Bad Boy” Brown now has 20 losses by KO/TKO.

Lincoln, RI, USA: Super Middle: Chris Chatman (13-5-1) W PTS 10 Vladine Biosse (15-7-2). Chatman climbs off the floor to outpoint Biosse. Chatman made a good start in the first scoring early with some meaty hooks only for Biosse to surprise him with a southpaw left that put Chatman down. He got up and made it to the bell without further trouble. From the second round Chatman used superior technique and speed to outbox Biosse and avoid any further trouble. Biosse was always dangerous and managed to be competitive and steal a couple of rounds but just a little too slow as Chatman gradually built a lead and staged a strong finish, shaking Biosse in the last. Scores 97-92, 96-93 and 95-94. Californian Chatman, 30, had scored good wins over Charles Hatley and experienced Grady Brewer but was coming off consecutive losses to Ievgen Khytrov and Angel Camacho. Biosse, 33, drops to five losses and a draw in his last six fights but three of those losses were to world rated fighters J’Leon Love, Callum Smith and Andre Dirrell.

Frampton overcomes first round shocks to outpoint Gonzalez and retain his IBF title. Within the first 40 seconds of the fight a left jab caught Frampton as he moved in and sent him back on his haunches with his gloves touching the canvas. He was up immediately but had to take the eight count. He then tracked the much taller Mexican around the ring scoring with some hard left hooks to the body and right crosses. As he was ducking and moving in to attack a downward chopping right from Gonzalez made Frampton dip at the knees with his right glove touching the canvas. He was up immediately but he had to take the second protection count in the round and the bell went as the count was completed. It was a great first round for Gonzalez and Frampton had a lot of ground to make up. The Belfast boxer went back to tracking Gonzalez and putting him on the back foot and in trying to counter a right from Gonzalez strayed very low and was warned by the referee. The Mexican was trying to get on the front foot and use his jab to drive Frampton back but Frampton was again scoring with good hooks to the body. Gonzalez was warned twice in the third for low punches and deducted a point but had a good spell when they traded only for Frampton to use a stiff jab and left hooks to dominate the late stages of the round with Gonzalez landing another low punch right on the bell. Frampton began to dominate the rounds as, despite giving away height and reach, he was able to use the strength of his own jab to force Gonzalez back and was getting home with hard left hooks, shaking Gonzalez with a hard uppercut in the fifth and with a couple of right crosses in the sixth. Gonzalez was trying to stay busy and throwing lots of punches but Frampton was being more selective and was the harder puncher. He was standing in the pocket and scoring with hard combinations, with Gonzalez only getting through with occasional shots and falling behind on points. Frampton bossed the fight until the ninth when Gonzalez had his best round since the first. Knowing he was behind on points, the Mexican was forced to come forward and take the fight to Frampton but any slight chance disappeared in the 11th when he landed a low left hook and lost another point. In the last Frampton was content to let Gonzalez come forward and counter and he landed a good right cross which Gonzalez did well to absorb and it was the Frampton counters that took the last round. Scores 116-108 twice and 115-109. Frampton was defending his IBF title for the second time. He will not have been totally happy with his first USA fight but let’s not overegg the first round. Both punches owed something to balance and Frampton was not shaken or stirred by either knockdown and went on to win almost all of the remaining rounds. His jab was his major weapon, driving through the Mexican’s defence and setting up the right crosses and left hooks that followed. It now looks as though the 28-year-old from Belfast is contemplating moving up to feather but “The Jackal” at 5’5” (165cm) might find it tough with bigger guys such as Nicholas Walters. The 22-year-old Gonzalez, a pro since he was 17, just lacked the power or experience to deal with the pressure put on him by Frampton. He has time and I can see him growing to feather or super feather in the future.

Arroyo vs. Villanueva

Arroyo wins the vacant IBF title with technical decision over Villanueva. This was one of those fights where styles don’t mix well and we get a messy, untidy fight. The first round was close with Villanueva using his right as the standard response to a southpaw and Arroyo getting home with some hard hooks. There was not a great deal of action in the second and third with Villanueva just the busier and by the fourth the crowd was getting restive at the lack of action. They both tried to step up the pace in the fifth but heads were banging together and Villanueva was warned to watch his head work with Arroyo probably taking the round. They clashed heads again in the sixth and this time the referee deducted a point from Villanueva and the round turned nasty with both fighters roughing things up. A clash of heads in the seventh saw Villanueva cut above his right eye and he had to pass an inspection to let the fight continue. At this stage the fight seemed to be close and despite passing a couple of inspections Villanueva realised that the cut would soon lead to an end of the fight so he tried to step up his aggression in the eighth and ninth but Arroyo was able to take advantage of the openings Villanueva was leaving . Villanueva started the 10th landing some hard punches but a couple of lefts from Arroyo brought the blood flowing from Villanueva’s cut and the fight was stopped and decided on the score cards. Arroyo was in front on all three cards by 98-91 twice and 97-92 which did not justice to the efforts of Villanueva or reflect the action and was booed long and loud by the crowd. The 29-year-old Puerto Rican Arroyo, one of pro boxing twins, has wins over Herman Marquez and Mark Anthony Geraldo but is still a low profile fighter at this time as these are not big wins. Strangely it was twin McWilliams who was the big star as an amateur but he lost a split decision to Amnat Ruenroeng for the IBF flyweight title in November so brother McJoe has beaten him to a title in the pros. Villanueva can feel aggrieved if not about the decision then definitely the scoring. The 26-year-old “King Arthur” has wins over Marco Demecillo, Henry Maldonado and Julio Cesar Miranda and once his cut heals he will be back pitching for another title shot.

Chavez vs. Reyes

Chavez wins but disappoints and fails to make the weight. The weight difference was a big factor. Reyes was busier and quicker but he could not hurt Chavez whereas Chavez was both able to rock Reyes and use his additional weight to bull his fellow Mexican around. Chavez took the first two rounds but looked listless in the third and Reyes dominated the fourth, firing combinations through the guard of Chavez. The fifth saw Chavez come alive again as he was using his jab to open Reyes up for hard combinations and the sixth, seventh and eighth went to Chavez. Although Reyes was again throwing and scoring more, the big punches were coming from Chavez. A clash of heads saw Chavez cut over his left eye and the referee harshly penalised Reyes with a point deduction and Reyes did not have the power to get the stoppage he needed in the last round. Scores 98-91, 97-92 and 96-93 for Chavez. It was a winning performance from the point of view of the verdict but not when it comes to satisfying the critics. Being the son of the great Julio Cesar Chavez Snr has mostly been a blessing for Junior but he is still being measured by his father’s standards and is falling a long way short and showing a lack of discipline. He explained away an unimpressive performance by revealing he hurt his left hand in the third round. He made a mistake in going up to light-heavy to face Andrzej Fonfara but he is not looking very convincing at super-middle. He is still a big name but looking shop-worn. Reyes, 27, lost only one of his first 33 fights but lost a majority decision to Abraham Han in October at middleweight which is his true home.

Arreola vs. Kassi

Arreola just escapes with a draw but can’t have been happy with his performance. The virtually unknown Kassi was matching Arreola early, absorbing some heavy shots from the former world title challenger and getting home with enough meaty body punches to have edged in front after three rounds. Arreola stirred himself somewhat from the fourth and it was his body attacks catching the eyes but rights from Kassi were getting through to Arreola. Both continued to score with heavy clubbing punches but neither fighter seemed able to badly shake the other and it was a slugging match without much in the way of movement or defence on show. Arreola was both taller and heavier than Kassi but he did not make much use of either advantage. It was entertaining if slow paced fight and a fight that Arreola could not afford to lose. He did more pressing over the second half of the fight to perhaps have a slight edge but he did nothing to further his hopes of another title shot. Scores 95-95 twice and 96-94 for Arreola. The 34-year-old “Nightmare” is only rated by the WBC and then at No 11 so there are plenty ahead of him in the queue for a shot at world champion Deontay Wilder. This was a big result for 35-year-old Kassi in his 11th year as a pro. The fighter from Cameroon was having only his second fight in two years and last time out in 2013 he was knocked out in seven rounds by Amir Mansour so he looked a safe fight for Arreola but nearly proved to be a banana skin. He will have plenty of offers now.

Imam vs. Angulo

Imam knocks out Angulo to underline his talent and get close to a shot at the WBC title. The tall young fighter used his speed, height and reach edges to box on the outside. Angulo used his experience to keep pressing Imam, trying to get within range to land one of his wild swings which made things interesting even if he was not having a great deal of success. He needed to get Imam on the ropes and keep him there but Imam was too smart and Angulo had to walk through some stiff counters for what little he did achieve. He was walking forward again in the fourth and as he leant in Imam landed a jab and then a chopping right which sent Angulo face down on the canvas and the referee waved the fight off without a count. The 24-year-old “Young Master” from Albany makes it 15 wins by KO/TKO. This was an eliminator to establish a challenger for the winner of the fight between Viktor Postol and Lucas Matthysse for the vacant WBC title with Imam being rated No 3 and Angulo No 8. Imam battled his way through a last chance qualifier to reach the US Olympic Trials but lost twice to Errol Spence Jnr and missed out on a berth in London. He was by no means the main attraction here but with wins over Yordanis Ugas, Santos Benavides, Fidel Maldonado, Walter Castillo and now Angulo he soon will be topping big shows. Angulo, 34, has been around the block a few times losing a wide decision to Juan Diaz for the WBA world lightweight title in 2006 and to Lenny Zappavigna for the IBO title in 2010 but had won his last five fights.

Lovett vs. Guerrero

Australian Lovett halts Guerrero to remain unbeaten. The fight was competitive early but then the strength and aggression of Lovett began to break Guerrero down. Lovett maintained the pressure and Guerrero had nothing left in the fourth and was put down by a hard punch and was in no condition to continue. The 30-year-old former Australian amateur champion has 11 wins by KO/TKO and has six inside the distance wins and a no decision in his last seven fights . Ecuadorian Guerrero, 32, is now 2-5 in his last seven fights.

Cuenca spoils the show for the locals by comprehensively outpointing Yang to win the vacant IBF title. Southpaw Cuenca showed plenty of movement by constantly shifting to Yang’s left, making it difficult for the Chinese fighter to land right hands. He never presented a stationary target and Yang was either not letting his hands go or hitting fresh air when he did. Cuenca is by no means a power puncher but late in the first he landed a three-punch combination involving two hard lefts to the head that saw a partially off balance Yang stagger back and lightly touch the canvas. He regained his balance immediately but it was a valid knockdown and the bell went on the completion of the eight count. Yang came out firing in the second but quickly earned a stern warning for a low punch and Cuenca was again the one doing the scoring as Yang was unable to set himself to throw rights. Cuenca was finding gap after gap in Yang’s defence and the Chinese fighter ended up getting a second warning for another low punch. The speed, evasive skills and variety of punches from Cuenca dominated the third and fourth rounds and every time Yang missed with a punch, which was most of the time, Cuenca made him pay with quick counters. In the fifth a good right and a clash of heads momentarily saw Cuenca lose his cool and trade with Yang with a straight right from the Chinese fighter which landed on Cuenca’s right shoulder sending Cuenca stumbling backwards. His gloves briefly touched the canvas and he was up immediately but it again it was a genuine knockdown and the bell went when the eight count was completed. Cuenca outboxed a fired-up Yang in the sixth as the Chinese fighter had no idea of how to cut off the ring as Cuenca kept moving to his right taking away Yang’s jab and nullifying his powerful rights. Yang got through with a hard left hook and couple of rights late in the seventh which probably helped him edge the round. Yang roughed Cuenca up at the start of the eighth but was repaid by some sharp straight right jabs which the Argentinian slotted through his guard and they traded a bit more at the end of the round. Yang again had some success in the ninth but only a little as Cuenca continued his masterclass and ended the round with a lightning-fast combination that typified the fight. Again in the 10th the Argentinian was thumping fast combinations through Yang’s guard and was nowhere around by the time Yang tried to counter and he finished the round with a flurry of shots to Yang’s head with the Chinese fighter not even seeing them coming. Yang tried turning southpaw in the 11th but it made no difference as Cuenca was still too quick for the Chinese fighter who went down late in the round but it was not due to a punch so not counted. A desperate Yang was throwing wild swings in the last and lost a point when he wrestled Cuenca to the canvas and for the first time in the fight Cuenca looked tired but he still ended the round with a stream of punches that penetrated the guard of Yang. Scores 117-108, 116-109 and 115-110 and those were generous to Yang who was outclassed. The 34-year-old Cuenca, the IBF No 1, was having his first fight for 14 months but there was no rust on show. His nickname now is “El Distinto” but in his early days it was “Fred Astaire” and he certainly showed class movement but also flashing hand speed and a good boxing brain. He is a master boxer and very difficult to nail so he may be the best Argentinian defensive boxer since the great “Untouchable” Nicolino Locche. However he sacrifices power for speed and as result has only two wins by KO/TKO and his 4% KO/TKO average must be the smallest ever for a world champion. He will give any light-welterweight problems. Yang, 30, had no Plan B and not much of a Plan A and never really got to grips with how to tackle the little southpaw’s simple tactic of constantly moving away from Yang’s right hand and as a result he spent a frustrating 12 rounds chasing a shadow.

Donaire vs. Settoul

Predictable early win for the “Filipino Flash”. Both fighters started cautiously probing with jabs. Donaire scored the first real punch, a quick overhand right, and later landed a good left hook to the body. Settoul was staying centre ring and jabbing but he suddenly staged a quick lunging attack and as Donaire avoided the Frenchman’s punches the Filipino shot home a left hook to the body. In a delayed action Settoul stepped back four or five paces and then seemed to feel the full force of the punch and dropped to one knee. He was up at eight and then got on his bicycle and went backwards trying to stay out of trouble. With only a couple of seconds to go in the round Donaire again dug a left hook into the Frenchman’s body and Settoul went down on one knee again and was looking pleadingly at his corner. He again got up at eight and the bell rung. Settoul was trying to establish his jab in the second but there was no power to his punches and Donaire stepped in with an overhand right that sent Settoul down sideward’s to his knees. Settoul made it to his feet at eight but as the referee indicated for him to step forward he staggered back a couple of steps and the towel came flying in from the Frenchman’s corner. The 32-year-old Donaire, a four division champion, is starting to look a little rough around the edges but he had too much power for the Frenchman and his left hooks to the body were top drawer. He is still very much a major played back down at super-bantam. Former EU champion Settoul, 28, was out of his league. He had nice skills but no power. He had won 11 of his last 12 fights but the opposition was nowhere near Donaire’s class.

Shafikov vs. Mukhlis

As usual the 5’5” Shafikov was giving away a lot in height and reach and the Indonesian tried to use those advantages to box on the outside. He showed plenty of movement and a quick jab but Shafikov just kept tracking him down and scored with some hard southpaw lefts before the end of the round. Mukhlis just could not stop the advance of Shafikov and the little Russian was ducking under the Indonesian punches and driving him back. A three punch combination landed from Shafikov but apart from the first left to the body they did not connect fully but as Mukhlis was going back he was off balance and went down. Mukhlis bitterly disputed that it was a knockdown and it looked for a moment as though he was so disgusted he was not going to resume the action but Shafikov denied him that option by launching an attack the moment the eight count was completed. Shafikov drove Mukhlis back with hard punches to head and body with Mukhlis throwing sweeping lefts and rights but making no impression on the little “Djingis Khan”. In the third they exchanged vicious head punches with Mukhlis briefly driving Shafikov back. That was temporary and soon Shafikov was walking forward, landing punch after punch to the head of Mukhlis and after a combination finished off with a left to the chin Mukhlis just raised an arm and walked away. The referee followed him and asked him if he wanted to continue but Mukhlis was finished for the night. The 30-yerar-old Russian was supposed to have been challenging Mickey Bey for the IBF title but Bey relinquished the title and there was no way to arrange an alternative title fight. His only loss was to Miguel Vasquez for the IBF title in February last year and hopefully he will get a shot at the vacant title in his next fight. Mukhlis, 28, was stopped in five rounds by Takashi Uchiyama in a challenge for the WBA title in 2010. He had since gone 4-1-1 in domestic fights.

Ramirez vs. Yoshida

Ramirez extends his winning run with stoppage of JBC No 10 Yoshida. The US Olympian simply punished Yoshida throught the first three rounds and did such a good job that Yoshida’s corner retired their man after the third round ended. The tall 22-year-old from California has 12 wins by KO/TKO including eight wins that way in his last nine fights. He has oodles of talent and will be a force in the division next year. Yoshida, 31, is 4-5 in his last nine fights and this is his sixth loss by KO/TKO.

Tso vs. Khunkhiri

Tso too good for poor Thai opponent. Over the first three rounds Tso was able to connect time and again with hard combinations and was just too fast and powerful. In the fourth he drove Khunkhir to a corner and unloaded to head and body. The Thai escaped but only briefly and another series of hard punches up and down from Tso saw the fight halted. The 28-year-old Hong Kong-based southpaw is rated WBO 4/IBF 6(5)/WBA 7 despite the absence of anything remotely close to a rated fighter in his list of victims and last time out in March he just squeezed by Filipino Mike Enriquez. Khunkhir is 4-7 in his last 11 fights.

Quigg makes successful sixth defence of his WBA secondary title as he destroys former champion Martinez within two rounds. Martinez easily took the first round. He was coming forward throwing jabs and left hooks to the body. Quigg seemed content to retreat around the ring rarely throwing a punch and never taking a forward step. By the end of the round Quigg face was reddened from the Martinez jab. The second round started with Quigg on the retreat again but things changed in a flash. As Martinez walked in he was nailed by a right uppercut that made him dip at the knees. Quigg saw he was hurt and landed a right to the body and a left hook to the head and Martinez went down. The Spaniard got up quickly and was ready to continue at the end of the eight count but Quigg leapt in landing clubbing rights and lefts again and again until he battered down Martinez’s defence and one more right to the now unprotected chin sent the former IBF champion sliding down to the canvas. He made it to his feet but the referee waved the fight off and Martinez did not protest. The 26-year-old from Bury makes it 23 wins by KO/TKO. If Carl Frampton moves up in weight it will rob Britain of a great fight and Quigg of a defining fight and the only big names currently left in the division will be Donaire and Leo Santa Cruz. Former IBF and European champion Martinez has no reason to like fighting in Britain as five of his six losses have been there against British fighters. At 29, there is no thought of retirement and he will still be a force at European level if not at world level.

Perez vs. Crolla

Perez retains his WBA title with majority draw against Crolla. The Brit made the better start getting through with some crisp lefts in the first round with Perez responding with a good uppercut. In the second Crolla looked sharp and was slotting home good counters and a right hook from Crolla rocked Perez who did well to stay on his feet but the bell came before Crolla could capitalise on that success. Although Crolla was forcing the pace the champion got into the fight in the third and fourth rounds showing good evasive skills and sliding home his trademark counters. Crolla produced a left hook in the fifth that shook Perez but the Colombian has a good chin. Perez was warned for a low blow in the sixth and Crolla was warned for the same offence in the eighth, a round which Crolla finished with a cut under his right eye. These middle rounds were close with Crolla the busier and more accurate but Perez landing the heavier shots, making them difficult rounds to score. Crolla got through with some hard shots in the 10th and Perez was warned again for a low punch. When he repeated the offence in the 11th he was deducted a point and he went low again in the last for another deduction. It seemed certain with Crolla’s better boxing and busier style and those deductions that the title was about to change hands but it was not to be. One of the judges scored it 116-111for Crolla but the other two both scored it 133-113 making it a majority draw so Perez retains his title. The decision was loudly protested on the night, and since, and the WBA have said they will review the fight and hopefully they will order a rematch. The 28-year-old “Million Dollar” Crolla was due to fight Richar Abril for this same title in January but in December suffered a fractured skull and broken ankle when pursuing burglars who had raided his neighbour’s home. It has been an amazing recovery and there was a great deal of pro-Crolla feeling but he has a genuine case for claiming he should have been crowned champion. Perez, 31, was the WBA interim champion but was promoted to full champion when Richar Abril was injured and made Champion in Recess. His best wins are over Argenis Lopez (19-0), Jaider Parra (23-1-1) and in his last fight in January over Jonathan Maicelo (21-1).

Eggington vs. Foot

Eggington beats Foot on a technical decision as he retains the Commonwealth title and wins the vacant British title. Eggington had the edge in reach and was using his jab to keep Foot on the outside and countering with good rights but Foot did plenty of effective pressing to earn a share of the first round. From then on although Foot kept coming forward he was just soaking up jabs as Eggington broke him down with cool, clinical boxing. Eggington was in total control and Foot was never really in the fight. A clash of heads opened a bad cut over the left eye of Foot and at the end of the eighth round the cut was too severe for the fight to continue and the result was decided by the scorecards, with Eggington winning on scores of 80-71, 80-72 and 79-72. The 21-year-old Midlander who is also the WBC International champion lost a split decision to Johnny Coyle in the 2014 Prizefighter tournament but has now won his last seven fights including good domestic wins over Denton Vassell and Shane Singleton and is one of the most improved fighters in Britain. He is rated No 8 by the EBU. Sunderland’s Foot, 27, a winner of the 2013 Prizefighter and former ABA runner-up met a better fighter on the night.

Jenkins vs. Nurse

The British title remains vacant after this majority draw. The early part of the fight saw Welshman Jenkins outworking Nurse and scoring well with quick light jabs and good body work whenever he took Nurse to the ropes. Nurse, the taller man, was doing steady work with counters and by the end of the fourth round Jenkins was showing a cut by his left eye and Nurse had a swelling under his right eye by the end of the fifth. Jenkins looked to have established a small lead but over the closing rounds he seemed to tire and Nurse took over landing some hard shots and although Jenkins was still very much in the fight a clash of heads in the ninth seemed to stun him. It was Nurse who had now built a small lead. Jenkins finished strongly but it was questionable as to whether he had done enough to take or share the decision. Scores 115-115, 114-114 and 117-112 for Nurse. Not surprisingly both fighters felt they had done enough to win and a return is promised. The 25-year-old Nurse turned pro at 18 and lost only one of his first 30 fights and that was in a Prizefighter. His other loss was when he climbed off the floor twice to lose a majority decision to Dave Ryan for the vacant CBC title in October. He has won two fights since then. “Rock ’n’ Rolla” Jenkins, 26, a former undefeated WBC International champion had been inactive for nearly nine months due to injuries and postponements and in fact had managed only one round of action in 14 months as he won his October fight inside a round. As an amateur he was Welsh champion and fought at the Commonwealth Games and World and European Championships.

Murray vs. Bajrektarevic

Murray continues his super-middle campaign with a stoppage of Croatian southpaw Bajrektarevic. The former middleweight title challenger from St Helens was just too strong and although Bajrektarevic was not too badly beaten up and had not been floored he was on his way to a painful loss when the referee stopped the fight in the fifth. It looked a premature stoppage but there was only going to be one winner and it was pointless to let the Croatian continue to soak up Murray’s punches. The 32-year-old, a former interim WBA champion, had drawn with Felix Sturm and lost a controversial decision to Sergio Martinez in world title shots at middle before a stoppage loss to Gennady Golovkin made him take the decision to move up to super-middle. With his strength and experience he has a better than even chance of landing a title shot in the higher division. Bajrektarevic, 36, had won six of his last seven fights including three wins on the road.

Abraham stops Stieglitz and puts an end to their four bout series. The WBO champion employed his usual tactics of tucking up behind a high guard leaving very little target for Stieglitz and banging home left jabs and straight right counters whenever he saw an opening, a combination he used often in the first round. Stieglitz was on the front foot and jabbing strongly but wild with his rights. In the second Stieglitz made a fast start, taking Abraham to the ropes and the champion just covered up and hardly threw a single punch in the first minute of the round. Once he got into the round Abraham landed some clubbing rights which made Stieglitz stumble and again got through with his left jab-straight right combinations. Stieglitz got a couple of warnings for being careless with his head and by the end of the round Abraham was pawing at his face and it turned out that he had suffered a fractured jaw and a broken tooth. Stieglitz was coming forward again in the third but Abraham’s high guard was frustrating his attempts to score. He got through with some punches when he had Abraham on the ropes but Abraham again had success with his left-right pairing although there was too much wrestling in the round and by the end there was also blood coming from Abraham’s nose. Stieglitz scored with some good punches to head and body in the fourth but as he moved in his feet slipped on the wet canvas in Abraham’s corner and he went down but the referee counted over the Russian. The referee had made Abraham’s corner sponge up water on a couple of previous occasions. No punch had landed and it was a clear slip. Stieglitz went forward but Abraham was again scoring with those left-rights through the middle of the Russian’s guard. In the fifth Stieglitz was advancing but was almost hesitant to let his punches go because of the hard counters Abraham was unleashing. Stieglitz scored a good left hook late in the round but the power was with Abraham. In the sixth two hard rights to the head sent Stieglitz stumbling back and Abraham scored with series of lefts and rights, pushing Stieglitz back further. As Stieglitz prepared to throw a punch Abraham beat him to it with a short right. Stieglitz took a step back and then collapsed on his hands and knees. The referee started the count and Stieglitz got up. The referee completed the eight count and signalled for the fight to continue as neither Stieglitz nor the referee had seen that Stieglitz’s corner man was standing waving the white towel until Abraham pointed it out and the fight was stopped. Fifth defence of his WBO title in his second reign for Abraham and his 21st world title fight over a 10 year period. The 35-year-old Armenian-born “King Arthur” looked strong in this one and his win was decisive enough to end his series with Stieglitz at 3-1 to Abraham. Former WBO champion Stieglitz, 34, loses inside the distance for the third time and this is his 14th world title fight. In his last fight in November he had fought a split draw with Felix Sturm and there are fights out there for him if he wants to continue.

Keta vs. Kanbolatov

Keta brawls his way to victory over Kanbolatov. Keta came out swinging from all angles and distances with Kanbolatov initially trying to use his height and reach to box only to get dragged into a brawl. Keta had Kanbolatov down twice in the first two rounds and then ended it in the third. Two thudding rights to the head put Kanbolatov down and after the eight count Keta drove Kanbolatov to a neutral corner and put him down with a big overhand right and the referee stopped the fight without bothering to count. Albanian Keta, 32, wins the vacant WBC EPBC title and has 16 wins by KO/TKO. He lost via 55 second knockout against Andreas Reimer for the German BDB title in 2012 but has won seven in a row since then against very modest opposition. Russian Kanbolatov, 25, had won his last 11 fights and collected the UBO title but his opposition would be flattered to be described awful.

Feigenbutz vs. Reynoso

Teenager Feigenbutz wins the vacant WBA interim title and the Global Boxing Union title with stoppage of Peruvian Reynoso. The Peruvian tried to jab and move early trying to keep the hard punching Feigenbutz out. It did not work as the young German got through with a hard right hook to the body that had Reynoso hurt. Feigenbutz was able to walk past the jab and work inside. The second round saw Feigenbutz put Reynoso down with a right hook to the head. Reynoso got up and managed to force Feigenbutz back to the ropes but was badly shaken and went down again for what looked a genuine knockdown but the referee decided it was a slip. Feigenbutz ended things in the third, flooring Reynoso with a series of punches rounded off with a left hook to the head. Reynoso made it up but a right to the head put him down again. He was trying to get up but a compassionate referee stopped the mismatch. The 19-year-old German turned pro at 16 and lost his second fight inside the distance. Since then he has won 19 fights in a row, 18 of them by KO/TKO. How the WBA came to select Reynoso as an opponent is a mystery.

Gevor vs. Rusiewicz

Gevor given eight good rounds of work by late substitute Rusiewicz. The Armenian-born Gevor outboxed Rusiewicz over the first two rounds and then Rusiewicz had the better of the third landing some good combinations. Gevor took over again in the fourth and had Rusiewicz hurt in the fifth. Early in the sixth Rusiewicz landed a good body punch and carried that good work over into the seventh. Gevor finished the stronger and again had Rusiewicz hurt late in the final round. Scores 77-74 twice and 78-73 all for Gevor. The 24-year-old Hamburg-based fighter is WBO 7/IBF 14(12)/WBA 14 but a more realistic rating by assessment of his opposition is his No 16 position with the EBU. Pole Rusiewicz, 33, is a durable survivor. He has only lost inside the distance twice and one of those was due to a cut.

Koelling vs. Kondor

Koelling outpoints Kondor. The German was giving away height and reach to the Ukrainian but was able to get inside early and used a concerted body attack to clearly win the first four rounds. Over the remaining four Koelling had Kondor wobbling but he is not a puncher and had to settle for a points victory. Scores 80-71 twice and 80-72. The 25-year-old former World Youth silver medallist, World Series of Boxing (WSB) competitor and 2012 Olympian had lost his unbeaten tag when he was outpointed by Italian Ricci in February and this is his second win since then. They were taking no chances here as Kondor has now lost nine on the bounce.

Ogogo vs. Schelev

Ogogo finally returns to the ring but bad luck strikes again. The British Olympian showed fast hands and some classy boxing but from the third round late substitute Schelev was able to put Ogogo on the back foot where he was less effective. There was too much clinching for the fight to be entertaining although any ring time would be a bonus for Ogogo. Scores 58-56 twice and 59-55. Unfortunately the 26-year-old Ogogo injured his shoulder late in the fight and could face another long period of inactivity. The Olympic bronze medallist beat current pros Jason Quigley, Damien Hooper, Vijender Singh, Ievgen Khytrov, Stefan Haertel and Frank Buglioni as an amateur but has been hit hard by injuries. Ukrainian Schelev, 26, has now lost four of his last five fights.

Haertel vs. Possiti

Former top amateur Haertel outboxes Frenchman Possiti. The classy German was just too skilful although Possiti pressed hard but had a bad habit of leaving his left hand down at waist level and a left from Haertel put him down in the second. Haertel looked to be coasting at times which allowed Possiti a foot hold in the fight and he tried hard in the last to turn the fight his way but Haertel had already done enough to take the decision. Scores 58-55 twice and 59-54. The tall 27-year-old German continues his winning way but he is yet to stop an opponent which shows a worrying lack of power.

After this win over Frezza in Italy Manyuchi is starting to emerge as a very good fighter. Frezza starts the first round brightly but emerges with a cut on his left eyelid. Manyuchi is both taller and stronger than the Italian and starts to boss the fight in the second and despite his best efforts Frezza just can’t handle the African or get close enough to be effective. Manyuchi loses a point in the third for a couple of low punches but he finishes the round strongly with Frezza under considerable pressure. In the fourth Manyuchi’s superiority is evident and the round is so one-sided that Frezza’s corner is asking their man if he wants to continue. By the fifth Manyuchi is playing with Frezza but also slamming home a variety of hooks and uppercuts. The African continues to punish Frezza in the sixth until the referee has seen enough and halts the action. The Zimbabwean retains the WBC International title for the second time and has 10 wins by KO/TKO. Since 2012 he has had to be a boxing nomad doing most of his fighting in Zambia due to the lack of any action in Zimbabwe. He won the ABU title with a stoppage of Petrice Sou Toke (17-1) in Burkina Faso and won the WBC International title with a stoppage of Patrick Allotey (30-0) and now has beaten a good quality Italian in Italy. He has 11 wins by KO/TKO including seven in a row now. First loss by KO/TKO for the former Italian champion who was unbeaten in his last 17 fights.

Pisanti vs. Balestri

Pisanti wins the vacant Italian title with points victory over the much younger Balestri. Both fighters are cautious at the start with both waiting for the other to make a mistake but the better work is coming from southpaw Pisanti. In the fifth Pisanti slams home a big right hook that floors Balestri and also opens a cut on his left eyebrow. The cut worries Balestri and affects his form over the next three rounds as his work becomes ragged in his attempts to pull back the lost points from the knockdown. Over the last two rounds Pisanti knows he has the fight won and although tiring he is the more accurate with his punching and Balestri just can’t nail him down. Scores 97-92 twice and 97-93 all for Pisanti. Former Italian feather champion Pisanti is 11-1-1 in his last 13 fights with the loss being a challenge for the vacant Italian feather title in his last fight in October. Balestri, 25, was in his first 10 round fight and will be back for another title shot in years to come.

Local West Country fighter Hughes wins the vacant English title with split decision over North East rival Hardy. Hughes was the boss inside scoring with hooks and body punches with Hardy more effective at range using quick accurate southpaw jabs. As the fight progressed Hughes was able to work inside more but did not really start to take control until the sixth round. From then it was Hughes forcing the fight with Hardy boxing on the back foot and countering when he could. Both fighters tired over the last two rounds with Hughes looking to have done enough to win it but Hardy having done some good early work and the judges not of one accord. Scores 99-92 and 98-92 for Hughes and 97-95 for Hardy. Now seven wins in a row for the 24-year-old Hughes the Southern Area champion. Hardy, 23, came in as a late substitute and was in his first 10 round fight and felt he had done enough to get the verdict.Sheffield, England: Middle: Adam Etches (19-1) W TKO 3 Victor Rosales (11-1).

Local favourite Etches returns with a win as he floors and halts Argentinian Rosales in three rounds. Etches made a careful start taking his time and trying to work openings. Rosales was occasionally dangerous with overhand rights but it was clear he lacked the power to trouble the Sheffield fighter. By the second Etches was letting his punches flow and Rosales looked too fragile to last long. In the third Etches was stalking Rosales and drove him to a corner where he landed a left and right that put Rosales down on his knees. He got up and after the eight count tried to fight back but was again cornered and Etches slammed home a couple of punches to the head. Rosales managed to escape to the other side of the ring but a thunderous right cross put him down on his hands and knees and although he was up before the eight count was completed the referee stopped the fight. Etches, 24, was flying along until Sergey Khomitsky put him down and out cold in their fight in March. He has work to do to rebuild his confidence but at least he has started on that road. Rosales, 29, holds a generally unrecognised version of the national title. He was unbeaten going in but his opposition has been abysmal with eight of his opponents having total records of 1-33 and the other three having negative records.

Pitto comes in way over the weight and wins but title not at stake. The big weight difference was a factor in the fight with the better skills of Sequeira nullified by his inability to hurt the heavier man. After an even first round Pitto scored with two hooks to the body and a right to the head which had Sequeira in trouble and the referee applied a standing count. Sequeira had a better third staying in ring centre and outscoring Pitto. The fourth saw tactics evolve where Sequeira would use his speed and work rate to collect the points with Pitto looking to score with hard counters and try to force Sequeira to the ropes. Both had good spells in the following four rounds with lateral movement and hand speed Sequeira’s strengths and Pitto countering and forcing the action with hard shots to the body. Sequeira started the ninth with some nice combinations but a punch from Pitto sent Sequeira’s mouthguard flying. They both put everything into the last round with Pitto just having the edge. Scores 96 ½-94 and 97-96 for Pitto and 96 ½-94 ½ for Sequeira. Pitto, 31, a natural cruiser hit the scale at 185lbs and initially had an 11lbs advantage although that was reduced later. He has five wins and a draw in his last six fights and this was only his second 10 round fight. Sequeira’s WBC Latino light heavy title was not on the line as a result of the weights but he had 14 bout winning streak broken.

Mickey Vann: Anthony Crolla was not robbed against Darleys Perez

NOT a week goes by when we don’t have an outcry on the validity of boxing judges’ scores.

This week it is the unfortunate Anthony Crolla who put in a gigantic effort but just didn’t get the nod. I thought it was a close fight, and Darleys Pérez also had two points deducted which added to the intrigue. Looking at it dispassionately, there were three neutral and highly respected judges, Anthony Crolla was coming off an injury received in a traumatic event and had the support of everyone before the fight had even started. Then we had the two-point deduction and everyone assumes that will seal the win for Crolla, but it was just two points. Fighters have come back from knockdowns (and 10-8 rounds in their opponent’s favour) to win decisions; just because a fighter loses points doesn’t make it a certainty they then lose the whole fight. After all, a fight can last for 12 rounds, and a lot can happen in those 36 minutes that might have been forgotten by observers at the final bell. I feel that Anthony Crolla fought a tremendous fight – that could have gone either way – and got an honest end of the decision. Of course I, like the rest of the country, would have loved to see him win but it just wasn’t to be. Maybe next time.

You are probably aware that I referee for the Boxing Union of Ireland and have been doing so for almost seven years as I had reached the retirement age with the British Boxing Board of Control, and so I have taken notice of the fluctuations of Irish fighters. Recently, they are not making life easy for themselves are they? It’s as if they need to create a handicap in fights to keep things interesting.

Think about it, Andy Lee fought Peter Quillin in his American back yard, wasn’t expected to win, so made things even harder for himself by letting Quillin knock him down as soon as the fight had started. Then we had Jamie Conlon with Junior Granados, who was regarded as dangerous, but after six rounds Jamie was pulling away, so to even things up he took a couple of counts. Then we had Carl Frampton on the doorstep of the Mexican border, fighting a Mexican not regarded as too dangerous but to make things somewhat more exciting he took two counts in the first round, and it certainly made for exciting action.

Joking aside, I was surprised to hear Carl say after the fight that he had weight problems to contend with, and I wonder if that is why he has turned down Eddie Hearn’s seven-figure purse to fight Scott Quigg. Two things I noticed in Frampton’s fight; the first being Carl hit Alejandro Gonzalez Jnr with a great left hook to the body that visibly shook him in the first round but never threw it again; and the second being the commentators in the studio over here said the referee was doing a good job apart from the low blows.

Well, I wasn’t so sure. Although he took a point off early on, he then seemed loathe to do anything again until he took another point off Gonzales Jnr late on. But by then Frampton was lucky not to be suffering from a fracture to the kneecap and in dire need of an operation for an artificial hip and a hernia. That was the only real call that the referee had to make so how does that equate to the referee doing a good job?

Dereck Chisora: ‘British boxing needs me back’

BRITAIN’S heavyweight division sees the return of the colourful and controversial Dereck ‘Del Boy’ Chisora who resumes his career after an eight month hiatus.

The former former British, Commonwealth and European Champion and WBC World Heavyweight title contender gets back between the ropes this Friday (July 24) at the SSE Arena, Wembley, show. The pride of Finchley features in a ten round international contest against Georgia’s Beqa Lobjanidze.

‘British boxing needs me back,’ declared ‘Del, who lost his titles to Tyson Fury at the ExCeL Arena in November.

It was the former world title challengers fifth reverse – and second to Fury – in his eight year 25 fight pro career and many expected him to drift quietly off into the sunset.

‘Retire?! How old do you think I am? I’m just 31, just starting out. I never announced my retirement. I’ve a long, long time left,’ he insists.

‘Look, Tyson thumbed me in the first round, then thumbed me in the third round. My eye closed and I couldn’t see. Trust me, in time, Tyson and me are gonna bump it again. ‘Del Boy’s’ a long way from finished.

‘My goals now are exactly the same as they were when I first started out as a pro; to be in great fights against other great fighters. I’m an entertainer, I deliver the fans what they want. I create a jolly!’

Though he has not been seen since the Fury loss, the Zimbabwe born former ABA super-heavyweight champion insists he has been far from idle.

‘I’ve passed most of the last eight months at the gym, training, training, training, man, getting ready to come back’ he says.

‘I’ve got a new set-up, a new trainer in Gary Innes and, for now, I’m training at a gym in St Pancras. I’ve got my mojo back and I’ve been learning lots of great new stuff. I can’t wait to demonstrate my skills to the public.’

New man Innes, a one time amateur boxer and ex kick-boxer who has previously tutored talents such as Dean Francis, Ossie Duran, Leon Williams and Pele Reid, has been busy orchestrating the technical and psychological changes needed to vault Chisora from contender to champion again.

He said: ‘Trust me, he still really wants to fight. Some can fight but don’t want to. Others can’t fight but really want to. Dereck has both the ability and the desire. His mindset is good. He’s really enjoying his boxing at the moment.”

Chisora, ever the gladiator, is chomping to get straight back among the iron in boxing’s blue riband division.